1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical generating apparatus and more particularly to a novel wave and tide actuated hydraulic electrical generating apparatus which utilizes the movement of tide water and waves to develop mechanical power which is then converted to electrical power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known to generate electrical power by means of water or steam operated turbines. However, very few areas are sufficient for water operated turbines as they require a dam to provide a head of water and thus a differential to pass through the turbine to power the same. Alternatively, they require some large vertical drop of water from a storage point to a discharge point so that sufficient energy is encompassed in the falling water to power the turbine.
As to steam powered turbines, these are the most frequently used with the steam normally being provided by the burning of fuels, such as coal, gas, oil and the like. Further, in most recent years the use of atomic energy to produce super-heated steam has been provided.
However, the burning of fossil type fuels requires pollution abatement equipment, this being expensive to purchase and maintain, and also robbing the generating plant of some of its efficiency during operation thereof. As to atomic powered plants, such require the use of huge quantities of cooling water, with pollution requirements being such that the water after being heated upon passing through the atomic plant must then be re-cooled back to its initial temperature before being allowed to be discharged to the surrounding area. This is a difficult, time consuming, and excessively expensive procedure which has resulted in atomic plants being somewhat abandoned for the present time until such cooling problems are overcome.
Thus, all presently known and readily available sources for the generation of electrical energy suffer from deficiencies and disadvantages, but yet they must be used as it is acknowledged that the generation of electrical power and the capacity for such generation must be constantly increased each year in view of the ever increasing world wide population.